Boy Scoutshttp://www.businessinsider.com/category/boy-scouts
en-usThu, 17 Aug 2017 23:07:26 -0400Thu, 17 Aug 2017 23:07:26 -0400The latest news on Boy Scouts from Business Insiderhttp://static3.businessinsider.com/assets/images/bilogo-250x36-wide-rev.pngBusiness Insiderhttp://www.businessinsider.com
http://www.businessinsider.com/boy-scout-leaders-deny-trumps-claim-that-they-praised-his-speech-2017-8Boy Scout leaders deny Trump's claim that they praised his speechhttp://www.businessinsider.com/boy-scout-leaders-deny-trumps-claim-that-they-praised-his-speech-2017-8
Wed, 02 Aug 2017 13:02:00 -0400David Crary
<p><img style="float:right;" src="http://static2.businessinsider.com/image/59774a0b552be58c008b64ba-2400/rtx3crfi.jpg" alt="Donald Trump" data-mce-source="Carlos Barria/Reuters" data-mce-caption="Donald Trump." /></p><p>NEW YORK (AP) &mdash; The Boy Scouts denied Wednesday that the head of the youth organization called President Donald Trump to praise his recent, politically aggressive speech to its national jamboree.</p>
<p>Trump told The Wall Street Journal in an interview published Wednesday, &ldquo;I got a call from the head of the Boy Scouts saying it was the greatest speech that was ever made to them, and they were very thankful.&rdquo; Politico published the transcript of the interview.</p>
<p>&ldquo;We are unaware of any such call,&rdquo; the Boy Scouts responded in a statement. It specified that neither of the organization&rsquo;s two top leaders &mdash; President Randall Stephenson and Chief Scout Executive Mike Surbaugh &mdash; had placed such a call.</p>
<p>The White House had no immediate response to the Boy Scouts&rsquo; denial.</p>
<p>Surbaugh apologized last week to members of the scouting community who were offended by the political rhetoric in Trump&rsquo;s July 24 speech in West Virginia.</p>
<p>Other U.S. presidents have delivered nonpolitical speeches at past jamborees. To the dismay of many parents and former scouts, Trump promoted his political agenda and derided his rivals, inducing some of the scouts in attendance to boo at the mention of former President Barack Obama.</p>
<p>&ldquo;I want to extend my sincere apologies to those in our Scouting family who were offended by the political rhetoric that was inserted into the jamboree,&rdquo; Surbaugh said. &ldquo;That was never our intent.&rdquo;</p>
<p>Surbaugh noted that every sitting president since 1937 has been invited to visit the jamboree.</p>
<p>Stephenson told The Associated Press two days after the speech that Boy Scout leaders anticipated Trump would spark controversy with politically tinged remarks, yet felt obliged to invite him out of respect for his office.</p>
<p>Hoping to minimize friction, the Boy Scouts issued guidelines to adult staff members for how the audience should react to the speech. Any type of political chanting was specifically discouraged.</p>
<p>Stephenson, who did not attend Trump&rsquo;s speech, said the guidance wasn&rsquo;t followed impeccably.</p>
<p>__</p>
<p>Associated Press writer Darlene Superville contributed to this report.</p><p><a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/boy-scout-leaders-deny-trumps-claim-that-they-praised-his-speech-2017-8#comments">Join the conversation about this story &#187;</a></p> <p>NOW WATCH: <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/good-cholesterol-hdl-not-so-good-2017-7">We may have been wrong about ‘good’ cholesterol all this time</a></p> http://www.businessinsider.com/trump-speech-boy-scouts-jamboree-mixed-reaction-2017-8'There was no mix': Trump bristles at reporter's suggestion of mixed reaction to raucous Boy Scouts speechhttp://www.businessinsider.com/trump-speech-boy-scouts-jamboree-mixed-reaction-2017-8
Tue, 01 Aug 2017 23:56:00 -0400Sonam Sheth
<p><img style="float:right;" src="http://static4.businessinsider.com/image/597b8795b50ab1011c8b53c0-2400/rtx3dc2d.jpg" alt="Donald Trump" data-mce-source="Jonathan Ernst/Getty Images" data-mce-caption="Donald Trump." /></p><p></p>
<p>President Donald Trump hit back at a suggestion that a <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/boy-scouts-trump-speech-2017-7" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">raucous speech last week to a gathering of Boy Scouts</a> received a "mixed" reaction.</p>
<p>Trump made the remarks during an interview with The Wall Street Journal, the transcript of which was <a href="http://www.politico.com/story/2017/08/01/trump-wall-street-journal-interview-full-transcript-241214" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">obtained by Politico</a>.</p>
<p>During a back-and-forth with the Journal reporters in the room, Trump asked what they thought of his appearance on July 24 at the National Boy Scout Jamboree, which he said had the "biggest crowd they've ever had."</p>
<p>"I thought it was an interesting speech in the context of the Boy Scouts," one reporter said.</p>
<p>"Right," Trump replied.</p>
<p>"They seemed to get a lot of feedback from former scouts," the reporter said before Trump cut in to ask whether they had liked it.</p>
<p>The reporter responded, "It seemed mixed."</p>
<p>Trump disagreed with that assessment: "They loved it. It wasn't &mdash; it was no mix. That was a standing &mdash;"</p>
<p>"You got a good reaction inside the arena, that's right," the reporter said.</p>
<p>"From the time I walked out on the stage &mdash; because I know," Trump said, continuing his thought. "And by the way, I'd be the first to admit mixed. I'm a guy that will tell you mixed. There was no mix there. That was a standing ovation from the time I walked out to the time I left, and for five minutes after I had already gone. There was no mix."</p>
<p>Trump's speech drew criticism for <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/trump-boy-scouts-speech-rally-2017-7" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">its increasingly political tilt</a>, as the president took shots at the media, former President Barack Obama, and his 2016 general-election opponent, Hillary Clinton.</p>
<p>"Boy, you have a lot of people here," Trump said at the beginning of the rally. "The press will say it's about 200 people. It looks like about 45,000 people."</p>
<p>He continued: "I said, 'Who the hell wants to speak about politics when I'm in front of the Boy Scouts.'"</p>
<p>However, he did just that for the duration of the speech.</p>
<p>"You know, I go to Washington, and I see all these politicians, and I see the swamp," he said. "And it's not a good place. In fact, today I said we ought to change it from the word 'swamp' to the word 'cesspool' or, perhaps, to the word 'sewer.' But it's not good. Not good. And I see what's going on, and, believe me, I'd much rather be with you. That I can tell you."</p>
<p>Trump also criticized Obama, who while in office turned down an invitation to speak at the Jamboree in protest of the Boy Scouts' policy at the time of disallowing gay members and leaders.</p>
<p>As he frequently does, Trump revisited the events of Election Day 2016 at the rally.</p>
<p>"Do you remember that famous night on television, November 8, where they said, these dishonest people, where they said, 'There is no path to victory for Donald Trump'?" Trump said while pointing at members of the media. "Do you remember that incredible night with the maps, and the Republicans are red and the Democrats are blue, and that map was so red it was unbelievable, and they didn't know what to say."</p>
<p>Trump continued praising his Boy Scouts appearance during the interview with The Journal, telling the reporters in the room that he had received a call "from the head of the Boy Scouts saying it was the greatest speech that was ever made to them."</p>
<p>He continued: "And they were very thankful. So there was &mdash; there was no mix."</p>
<p>Boy Scouts of America officials pushed back on Trump's claim. <a href="http://time.com/4883422/donald-trump-boy-scouts-wall-street-journal-transcript/">According to Time magazine</a>, the organization was "unaware of any call from national leadership placed to the White House" about Trump's speech.</p>
<p>It told the publication that a statement from its chief scout executive, Michael Surbaugh, released on Thursday in response to the backlash over Trump's speech "speaks for itself."</p>
<p>"I want to extend my sincere apologies to those in our scouting family who were offended by the political rhetoric that was inserted into the Jamboree," Surbaugh said. "That was never our intent."</p>
<p>The organization has aimed to distance itself from Trump's political rhetoric.</p>
<p>"The Boy Scouts of America is wholly nonpartisan and does not promote any one position, product, service, political candidate, or philosophy," the organization said in a statement on July 25. "The invitation for the sitting US president to visit the National Jamboree is a long-standing tradition and is in no way an endorsement of any political party or specific policies."</p><p><strong>SEE ALSO:&nbsp;<a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/trump-boy-scouts-speech-rally-2017-7" >Trump just had his most freewheeling rally in months — and it was to a massive group of Boy Scouts</a></strong></p>
<p><a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/trump-speech-boy-scouts-jamboree-mixed-reaction-2017-8#comments">Join the conversation about this story &#187;</a></p> <p>NOW WATCH: <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/venezuela-was-latin-americas-richest-country-heres-how-it-fell-apart-2017-7">Venezuela was Latin America’s richest country and now it is in complete crisis — here’s how it fell apart</a></p> http://www.businessinsider.com/boy-scouts-apologize-trump-speech-2017-7Boy Scouts extend 'sincere apologies' for the 'political rhetoric' Trump inserted into his jamboree speechhttp://www.businessinsider.com/boy-scouts-apologize-trump-speech-2017-7
Thu, 27 Jul 2017 14:58:38 -0400Veronika Bondarenko
<p><img style="float:right;" src="http://static1.businessinsider.com/image/597a318e5124c9b00a86cb8a-800/boy-scouts-of-america-apologizes-for-trumps-political-rhetoric.jpg" alt="U.S. President Donald Trump waves after delivering remarks at the 2017 National Scout Jamboree in Summit Bechtel National Scout Reserve, West Virginia, U.S., July 24, 2017. REUTERS/Carlos Barria " data-mce-source="Thomson Reuters" data-mce-caption="U.S. President Donald Trump waves after delivering remarks at the 2017 National Scout Jamboree in Summit Bechtel National Scout Reserve, West Virginia, U.S.," /></p><p>The Boy Scouts of America have <a href="http://scoutingwire.org/chief-perspective-presidential-visit/">apologized</a> for a highly politicized and controversial speech President Donald Trump gave to a jamboree of&nbsp;over 40,000 scouts and their families.</p>
<p>"<span>I want to extend my sincere apologies to those in our Scouting family who were offended by the political rhetoric that was inserted into the jamboree," wrote Mike Surbaugh, the&nbsp;Chief Scout Executive for the Boy Scouts. "That was never our intent."</span></p>
<p>On July 24, Trump <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/trump-boy-scouts-speech-rally-2017-7">spoke</a>&nbsp;at a Boy Scouts Jamboree in West Virginia. Even though he said that no one wants to "speak about politics," he went on to fire jabs at former President Barack Obama, political correctness, and his former opponent Hillary Clinton to applause and chants of "U-S-A!"</p>
<p>"What<span>&nbsp;we did, in all fairness, is an unbelievable tribute to you and all of the other millions and millions of people that came out and voted for 'Make America Great Again,'" Trump said.</span></p>
<p>After <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/donald-trump-boy-scouts-speech-parents-respond-angry-2017-7">parents complained</a> by calling the speech campaign-like and inappropriate, the Boy Scouts <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/boy-scouts-trump-speech-2017-7">moved to distance the organization</a> from the speech by calling itself "wholly nonpartisan" and saying that it "does not promote any one position, product, service, political candidate, or philosophy."</p>
<p><span>On Thursday, the Boy Scouts released an official apology, saying that "politics were inserted" into the jamboree.</span></p>
<p><span>"In a time when differences seem to separate our country, we hope the true spirit of Scouting will empower our next generation of leaders to bring people together to do good in the world," Surbaugh wrote.</span></p><p><strong>SEE ALSO:&nbsp;<a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/boy-scouts-trump-speech-2017-7" >Boy Scouts forced to respond to Trump's wild, heavily political speech before tens of thousands of Scouts</a></strong></p>
<p><a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/boy-scouts-apologize-trump-speech-2017-7#comments">Join the conversation about this story &#187;</a></p> <p>NOW WATCH: <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/white-house-communications-director-anthony-scaramucci-reacts-sean-spicer-resignation-2017-7">'I'm used to dealing with friction': Trump’s new communications director reacts to Sean Spicer’s abrupt resignation</a></p> http://www.businessinsider.com/cia-official-trumps-boy-scout-speechz-2017-7Former CIA Director: Trump's Boy Scout speech was like 'third world authoritarian's youth rally'http://www.businessinsider.com/cia-official-trumps-boy-scout-speechz-2017-7
Tue, 25 Jul 2017 17:21:11 -0400Daniel Brown
<p><img style="float:right;" src="http://static1.businessinsider.com/image/5977b32b5d8a2f21008b5441-2400/ap17205854781768.jpg" alt="trump boy scout" data-mce-source="Steve Helber/AP" data-mce-caption="President DonaldTrump, front left, gestures as former boys scouts, Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke, left, Energy Secretary Rick Perry, watch at the 2017 National Boy Scout Jamboree at the Summit in Glen Jean,W. Va., Monday, July 24, 2017."></p><p></p>
<p>Former Acting CIA Director John McLaughlin was apparently not a fan of President Donald Trump's Monday night speech at the <span>Boy Scouts of America's National Jamboree in West Virginia. </span></p>
<p><span>"Trump's Boy Scout speech had the feel of a third world authoritarian's youth rally," McLaughlin, who was former President George W. Bush's CIA chief, <a href="https://twitter.com/jmclaughlinSAIS/status/889675861259165696" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">tweeted</a> Monday. </span></p>
<p><span>Speaking to a crowd of more than 40,000 Boy Scouts, Trump started by <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/boy-scouts-trump-speech-2017-7" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">saying</a> "Who the hell wants to speak about politics when I’m in front of the Boy Scouts, right?" </span></p>
<p><span>But then he did just that, jesting that he'd fire Health and Human Services Secretary Tom Price if the Senate didn't pass healthcare legislation, and blasting Hillary Clinton, Barack Obama, "fake news," and even wealthy real-estate developer William Levitt.</span></p>
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Trump's Boy Scout speech had the feel of a third world authoritarian's youth rally. </p>— john mclaughlin (@jmclaughlinSAIS) <a href="https://twitter.com/mims/statuses/889675861259165696">July 25, 2017</a>
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<p>"It just gave me the creeps," McLaughlin told Business Insider, adding that "it was like watching the late Venezuelan [President Hugo] Chavez."</p>
<p>"You want to signal to young people the concept in democracy of loyal opposition, of remaining loyal to government," which doesn't exist in third world dictatorships, McLaughlin said.</p>
<p><span>But instead, "he was attacking his predecessor for no good reason, and his competitor in the last election," the former CIA chief said. "He was showing disloyalty to his subordinates ... ranting on about financial stories in New York."</span></p>
<p>Trump basically told the Boy Scouts, "don't respect your opponents, only believe me, and cheer for me," McLaughlin said. </p>
<p><img src="http://static1.businessinsider.com/image/597695845d8a2f28008b4d7b-2400/ap17205855157307.jpg" alt="Trump boy scout" data-mce-source="Steve Helber/AP" data-mce-caption="President Donald Trump waves to the crowd of scouts at the 2017 National Boy Scout Jamboree at the Summit in Glen Jean,W. Va., Monday, July 24, 2017."></p>
<p><span>"What message is this giving to young people?" McLaughlin asked rhetorically. </span></p>
<p>The former CIA official said that the power of the presidency is the power to inspire, and there was nothing inspirational about the speech.</p>
<p>He also said that there is an arrogant posture to Trump's body language that doesn't suggest an "openness to ideas."</p>
<p>McLaughlin was not the only Republican critical of Trump's speech, and even the Boy Scouts distanced themselves from it afterwards. </p>
<p><span>"The Boy Scouts of America is wholly nonpartisan and does not promote any one position, product, service, political candidate, or philosophy," the Boy Scouts said in a statement. "The invitation for the sitting US president to visit the National Jamboree is a long-standing tradition and is in no way an endorsement of any political party or specific policies."</span></p>
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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en">
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He's so far beyond the usual bounds of even vulgar politicians' vulgarity... <a href="https://t.co/hdHYsqPYwo">https://t.co/hdHYsqPYwo</a> </p>— Bill Kristol (@BillKristol) <a href="https://twitter.com/mims/statuses/889618620900311041">July 24, 2017</a>
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</div><p><strong>SEE ALSO:&nbsp;<a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/boy-scouts-trump-speech-2017-7" >Boy Scouts forced to respond to Trump's wild, heavily political speech before tens of thousands of Scouts</a></strong></p>
<p><a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/cia-official-trumps-boy-scout-speechz-2017-7#comments">Join the conversation about this story &#187;</a></p> <p>NOW WATCH: <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/vh-92a-marine-one-new-presidential-helicopter-2017-8">This is the helicopter that will replace Marine One</a></p> http://www.businessinsider.com/trump-boy-scouts-speech-william-levitt-party-2017-7Trump goes on wild riff to Boy Scouts about a real estate developer and a party with 'the hottest people in New York'http://www.businessinsider.com/trump-boy-scouts-speech-william-levitt-party-2017-7
Tue, 25 Jul 2017 11:27:32 -0400Pamela Engel
<p><img style="float:right;" src="http://static3.businessinsider.com/image/59775c8d5d8a2f26008b5019-2400/rtx3crg0.jpg" alt="Donald Trump" data-mce-source="REUTERS/Carlos Barria" data-mce-caption="President Donald Trump delivers remarks at the 2017 National Scout Jamboree in Summit Bechtel National Scout Reserve, West Virginia, U.S., July 24, 2017." /></p><p>During <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/trump-boy-scouts-speech-rally-2017-7" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">his most free-wheeling speech&nbsp;in months</a>&nbsp;to the Boy Scouts of America's National Jamboree in West Virginia, President Donald Trump told a story about wealthy real-estate developer William Levitt.</p>
<p>The anecdote started out as a lesson about dedicating yourself to your work, but then it devolved into a story about a cocktail party attended by&nbsp;"the hottest people in New York."</p>
<p>"If you love what you do and dedicate yourself to your work, then you will gain momentum, and look &mdash; you have to, you need to," Trump began. "The word momentum &mdash; you will gain that momentum, and each success will create another success. The word momentum."</p>
<p>Trump then pivoted to telling a story&nbsp;about Levitt and how he became a successful homebuilder through the merits of hard work.</p>
<p>"At night he'd go to these major sites with teams of people and he'd scour the sites for nails and sawdust and small pieces of wood," he said. "And they'd clean the site so when the workers came in the next morning, the sites would be spotless and clean, and he did it properly. And he did this for 20 years, and then he was offered a lot of money for his company."</p>
<p>Trump talked about how Levitt sold his company "for a tremendous amount of money" and "went out and bought a big yacht."</p>
<p>"He had a very interesting life," Trump said. "I won't go any more than that because you're Boy Scouts, so I'm not going to tell you what he did."</p>
<p>The crowd groaned.</p>
<p>"Should I tell you? Should I tell you?" Trump asked.</p>
<p>The crowd responded with an enthusiastic "yes."</p>
<p>"Oh, you're Boy Scouts, but you know life," Trump said. "You know life."</p>
<p>Trump then continued&nbsp;his story about Levitt, talking about how the conglomerate that bought Levitt's company "didn't know anything about building homes" or "picking up the nails and the sawdust and selling it &mdash; and the scraps of wood."</p>
<p>The conglomerate lost a lot of money on Levitt's company, Trump said, and then asked Levitt if he wanted to buy it back.</p>
<p>"He so badly wanted it, he got bored with this life of yachts and sailing and all of the things he did in the south of France and other places," Trump said. "You won't get bored, right? You know, truthfully, you're workers. You'll get bored too. Believe me. Of course, having a good few years like that isn't so bad."</p>
<p>Trump talked about how Levitt "failed badly" after he bought back his company, and then he went on to detail a cocktail party.</p>
<p>"I saw him at a cocktail party, and it was very sad because the hottest people in New York were at this party," Trump said. "It was the party of Steve Ross who was one of the great people &mdash; he came up and discovered &mdash; really founded &mdash; Time Warner, and he was a great guy. He had a lot of successful people at the party.&nbsp;<span>And I was doing well so I got invited to the party.</span>"</p>
<p>He continued: "I was very young, and I go in &mdash; but I'm in the real estate business &mdash; and I see 100 people, some of whom I recognize and they're big in the entertainment business. And I see, sitting in the corner, was a little old man who was all by himself. Nobody was talking to him. I immediately recognized that that man was the once great William Levitt of Levittown, and I immediately went over &mdash; I wanted to talk to him more than the Hollywood show business communications people."</p>
<p>Levitt recognized Trump and told him how bad he was doing with his business, Trump said. When Trump asked what happened, he said Levitt told him that he lost his momentum.</p>
<p>"I'll tell you, it was very sad, and I never forgot that moment," Trump said. "And I thought about it, and it's exactly true. He lost his momentum. Meaning, he took this period of time off long &mdash; years &mdash; and then when he got back, he didn't have that same momentum."</p>
<p>Trump&nbsp;ended the story with a lesson.</p>
<p>"The big thing: Never quit. Never give up. Do something you love," Trump said. "When you do something you love &mdash; as a Scout I see that you love it. But when you do something that you love you'll never fail."</p><p><strong>SEE ALSO:&nbsp;<a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/trump-boy-scouts-speech-rally-2017-7" >Trump just had his most freewheeling rally in months — and it was to a massive group of Boy Scouts</a></strong></p>
<p><a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/trump-boy-scouts-speech-william-levitt-party-2017-7#comments">Join the conversation about this story &#187;</a></p> <p>NOW WATCH: <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/donald-trump-virginia-winery-vineyard-2016-11">We went inside the Charlottesville winery Trump bragged about during the press conference</a></p> http://www.businessinsider.com/boy-scouts-trump-speech-2017-7Boy Scouts forced to respond to Trump's wild, heavily political speech before tens of thousands of Scoutshttp://www.businessinsider.com/boy-scouts-trump-speech-2017-7
Tue, 25 Jul 2017 10:19:53 -0400Allan Smith
<p><img style="float:right;" src="http://static2.businessinsider.com/image/59774a0b552be58c008b64ba-2400/rtx3crfi.jpg" alt="Donald Trump" data-mce-source="Carlos Barria/Reuters" data-mce-caption="Donald Trump." /></p><p></p>
<p>The Boy Scouts of America sought to distance itself Tuesday from President Donald Trump's highly political <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/trump-boy-scouts-speech-rally-2017-7">speech to tens of thousands of Scouts</a>, after <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/donald-trump-boy-scouts-speech-parents-respond-angry-2017-7">parents criticized the speech and the organization</a>.</p>
<p>In the statement, the organization said it was "wholly nonpartisan" and did not endorse "any political party of specific policies."</p>
<p>"The Boy Scouts of America is wholly nonpartisan and does not promote any one position, product, service, political candidate, or philosophy," the statement said. "The invitation for the sitting US president to visit the National Jamboree is a long-standing tradition and is in no way an endorsement of any political party or specific policies.</p>
<p>"The sitting US president serves at the BSA's honorary president," it continued. "It is our long-standing custom to invite the US president to the National Jamboree."</p>
<p>The speech Trump delivered to the group of more than 40,000 Boy Scouts was one of his most freewheeling in months. He began it by saying, "Who the hell wants to speak about politics when I&rsquo;m in front of the Boy Scouts, right?" But over the next 40 minutes, he did exactly that.</p>
<p>"You know, I go to Washington and I see all these politicians, and I see the swamp," he said. "And it&rsquo;s not a good place. In fact today I said we ought to change it from the word swamp to the word cesspool or, perhaps, to the word sewer. But it&rsquo;s not good. Not good. And I see what&rsquo;s going on, and believe me I&rsquo;d much rather be with you. That I can tell you."</p>
<p>He subsequently joked that he would fire Health and Human Services Secretary Tom Price if the Senate could not pass healthcare legislation, ripped on the "fake media," and discussed his electoral victory while blasting Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton.</p>
<p>"Do you remember that famous night on television, November 8, where they said &mdash; these dishonest people &mdash; where they said there is no path to victory for Donald Trump?" Trump said. "They forgot about the forgotten people. By the way, they're not forgetting about the forgotten people anymore. They're going crazy trying to figure it out. But I told them, far too late. It&rsquo;s far too late. But do you remember that incredible night with the maps and the Republicans are red and the Democrats are blue, and that map was so red, it was unbelievable, and they didn't know what to say?"</p>
<p>The boisterous crowd of young scouts responded with applause.</p>
<p>"And you know we have a tremendous disadvantage in the Electoral College &mdash; popular vote is much easier," he continued. "Because New York, California, Illinois &mdash; you have to practically run the East Coast. And we did. We won Florida. We won South Carolina. We won North Carolina. We won Pennsylvania. We won and won. So when they said, there is no way to victory, there is no way to 270. I went to Maine four times because it&rsquo;s one vote, and we won. But we won &mdash; one vote. I went there because I kept hearing we're at 269. But then Wisconsin came in. Many, many years &mdash; Michigan came in. And we worked hard there. My opponent didn't work hard there because she was told--"</p>
<p>The crowd booed at the mention of Clinton. Trump then transitioned to blasting polls as "fake news" and "fake polls."</p>
<p>"So I have to tell you what we did, in all fairness, is an unbelievable tribute to you and all of the other millions and millions of people that came out and voted for Make America Great Again," he said to chants of "USA! USA! USA!" "And I&rsquo;ll tell you what, we are, indeed, making America great again. What&rsquo;s going on is incredible."</p><p><strong>SEE ALSO:&nbsp;<a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/trump-tweets-chuck-grassley-chris-coons-2017-7" >Top Democratic senator: I don't think Chuck Grassley will be intimidated by a Trump tweet</a></strong></p>
<p><a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/boy-scouts-trump-speech-2017-7#comments">Join the conversation about this story &#187;</a></p> <p>NOW WATCH: <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/best-donald-trump-memes-first-200-days-president-white-house-twitter-2017-8">The 9 best memes from Trump's first 200 days in office</a></p> http://www.businessinsider.com/pete-souza-trolls-trump-boy-scout-speech-obama-2017-7Former White House photographer trolls Trump's raucous Boy Scouts speech with one photohttp://www.businessinsider.com/pete-souza-trolls-trump-boy-scout-speech-obama-2017-7
Tue, 25 Jul 2017 00:57:31 -0400David Choi
<p>Former White House photographer Pete Souza is no stranger to <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/former-obama-white-house-photographer-pete-souza-trolling-trump-on-instagram-2017-3" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">trolling</a> President Donald Trump's presidency, and after Trump gave a fiery political <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/trump-boy-scouts-speech-rally-2017-7" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">speech</a> at the Boy Scouts of America's National Boy Scout Jamboree in West Virginia Monday, Souza's latest photo on Instagram proved just that.</p>
<p>The photo, <a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/BW8u34hl0Rv/">which was posted to Souza's Instragram account</a>, is a picture of President Barack Obama shaking hands with a Cub Scout, with the caption: "I can assure you, POTUS was not telling this Cub Scout and the Boy Scouts who followed about his electoral college victory."</p>
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<p style=" margin:8px 0 0 0; padding:0 4px;"> <a href="https://instagram.com/p/BW8u34hl0Rv/" style=" color:#000; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; font-style:normal; font-weight:normal; line-height:17px; text-decoration:none; word-wrap:break-word;" target="_top">I can assure you, POTUS was not telling this Cub Scout and the Boy Scouts who followed about his electoral college victory.</a>
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<time style=" font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; line-height:17px;" datetime="2017-07-25T00:10:56+00:00">Jul 24, 2017 at 5:10pm PDT</time></p>
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<p>Speaking before a crowd of thousands at the Jamboree, Trump lambasted members of the media and made several references to his election victory.</p>
<p>"We worked hard [in Michigan]," Trump said, referring to then-presidential candidate Hillary Clinton's loss in the state. "You know, my opponent didn't work hard there because she was told she was gonna win Michigan."</p><p><strong>SEE ALSO:&nbsp;<a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/trump-boy-scouts-speech-rally-2017-7" >Trump just had his most freewheeling rally in months — and it was to a massive group of Boy Scouts</a></strong></p>
<p><a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/pete-souza-trolls-trump-boy-scout-speech-obama-2017-7#comments">Join the conversation about this story &#187;</a></p> <p>NOW WATCH: <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/venezuela-was-latin-americas-richest-country-heres-how-it-fell-apart-2017-7">Venezuela was Latin America’s richest country and now it is in complete crisis — here’s how it fell apart</a></p> http://www.businessinsider.com/trump-boy-scouts-speech-rally-2017-7Trump just had his most freewheeling rally in months — and it was to a massive group of Boy Scoutshttp://www.businessinsider.com/trump-boy-scouts-speech-rally-2017-7
Mon, 24 Jul 2017 23:02:27 -0400David Choi
<p><img style="float:right;" src="http://static6.businessinsider.com/image/597692c15d8a2f1f008b4dd8-2324/ap17205854781768.jpg" alt="trump boy scout" data-mce-source="Steve Helber/AP" data-mce-caption="President DonaldTrump, front left, gestures as former boys scouts, Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke, left, Energy Secretary Rick Perry, watch at the 2017 National Boy Scout Jamboree at the Summit in Glen Jean,W. Va., Monday, July 24, 2017." /></p><p></p>
<p>In a speech to the Boy Scouts of America's National Boy Scout Jamboree in West Virginia, President Donald Trump called on rhetoric from his 2016 presidential campaign rallies while addressing thousands of attendees.</p>
<p>"Boy, you have a lot of people here," Trump said at the beginning of the rally Monday night. "The press will say it's about 200 people. It looks like about 45,000 people."</p>
<p>"Tonight, we put aside all of the policy fights in Washington, DC, you've been hearing with the fake news and all of that. We're going to put that aside," Trump said.</p>
<p>"I said, 'Who the hell wants to speak about politics when I'm in front of the Boy Scouts,'" Trump said.</p>
<p>Trump, however, went on to fire several political shots toward his opponents, including his immediate predecessor, Barack Obama, who previously turned down an invitation to speak at the Jamboree in protest of the Boy Scouts' policy of disallowing gay members and leaders from joining its ranks in 2013.</p>
<p>"By the way, just a question," Trump asked. "Did President Obama ever come to a Jamboree?"</p>
<p>The <a href="http://www.cbsnews.com/news/trump-addresses-boy-scouts-of-america-at-national-summit-in-west-virginia/">event</a> has been held every four years since 1910. Trump was the eighth president to attend, following George W. Bush's appearance in 2005.</p>
<p>Obama delivered a video address to the event for the organization's 100th anniversary in 2010.</p>
<p>Trump continued his speech, harking back to a position on a highly debated topic among conservative evangelical leaders and <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/starbucks-new-holiday-cups-cause-outrage-red-coffee-merry-christmas-2015-11">businesses</a>.</p>
<p>"Under the Trump administration, you'll be saying 'Merry Christmas' again when you go shopping, believe me," Trump said, reviving an old campaign-trail yarn. "They've been downplaying that little beautiful phrase."</p>
<p>"Boy Scout values are American values," Trump continued. "And great Boy Scouts become great, great Americans. As the Scout law says, a Scout is trustworthy, loyal &mdash; we could use some more loyalty I can tell you that."</p>
<p><img src="http://static1.businessinsider.com/image/597695845d8a2f28008b4d7b-2400/ap17205855157307.jpg" alt="Trump boy scout" data-mce-source="Steve Helber/AP" data-mce-caption="President Donald Trump waves to the crowd of scouts at the 2017 National Boy Scout Jamboree at the Summit in Glen Jean,W. Va., Monday, July 24, 2017." /></p>
<p>Trump also interjected portions of his speech with comments about the crowd size, a typical refrain from the 2016 campaign trail and, more recently, <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/mika-brzezinski-sean-spicer-donald-trump-press-conference-2017-1">in reference to his January inauguration</a>.</p>
<p>"I'm waving to people back there so small, I can't even see them," Trump said. "By the way, what do you think the chances are that this incredible, massive crowd, record-setting, is going to be shown on television tonight? One percent or zero?"</p>
<p>The contentious 2016 presidential election was also a talking point in Trump's Monday-night speech.</p>
<p><img style="float:right;" src="http://static2.businessinsider.com/image/5820f397691e88284e8b47fa-1333/clinton-trump-debate2-1476064278.jpg" alt="clinton trump debate2 1476064278" data-mce-source="Getty Images" data-mce-caption="US presidential candidates Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton during the second debate." /></p>
<p>"Do you remember that famous night on television, November 8, where they said, these dishonest people, where they said, 'There is no path to victory for Donald Trump'?" Trump said while pointing at what appeared to be media members. "Do you remember that incredible night with the maps, and the Republicans are red and the Democrats are blue, and that map was so red it was unbelievable, and they didn't know what to say."</p>
<p>"We worked hard" in Michigan, Trump said, a state where Democrat Hillary Clinton lost. "You know, my opponent didn't work hard there because she was told she was gonna win Michigan."</p>
<p>But the message to the thousands of attendees didn't merely center on politics. Trump gave what ostensibly was a motivational speech amid cheers and chants of "U-S-A," and he appeared to receive support from many in attendance.</p>
<p>"So I have to tell you," he said, "what we did, in all fairness, is an unbelievable tribute to you and all of the other millions and millions of people that came out and voted for 'Make America Great Again.'"</p><p><strong>SEE ALSO:&nbsp;<a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/trump-to-tom-price-youre-fired-if-gop-doesnt-pass-healthcare-2017-7" >Trump to Tom Price, jokingly: 'You're fired' if Republicans don't pass healthcare bill</a></strong></p>
<p><a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/trump-boy-scouts-speech-rally-2017-7#comments">Join the conversation about this story &#187;</a></p> <p>NOW WATCH: <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/photos-white-house-gut-renovated-truman-renovation-2017-1">The White House is undergoing renovations — here's how it changed after a massive facelift in the 1950s</a></p> http://www.businessinsider.com/donald-trump-boy-scouts-speech-parents-respond-angry-2017-7Parents railed against the Boy Scouts of America after Trump's campaign-style speechhttp://www.businessinsider.com/donald-trump-boy-scouts-speech-parents-respond-angry-2017-7
Mon, 24 Jul 2017 22:20:33 -0400Madeleine Sheehan Perkins
<p><img style="float:right;" src="http://static6.businessinsider.com/image/597692c15d8a2f1f008b4dd8-2324/ap17205854781768.jpg" alt="trump boy scout" data-mce-source="Steve Helber/AP" data-mce-caption="President DonaldTrump, front left, gestures as former boys scouts, Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke, left, Energy Secretary Rick Perry, watch at the 2017 National Boy Scout Jamboree at the Summit in Glen Jean,W. Va., Monday, July 24, 2017."></p><p>Parents are indicating their displeasure with the Boy Scouts of America after President Donald Trump gave a campaign-style speech on Monday to a group of young scouts after promising he wouldn't speak about politics.</p>
<p>Some parents vented on Twitter, calling Trump's comments to the crowd of mostly teenage boys at the National Boy Scout Jamboree in West Virginia inappropriate.</p>
<p>While Trump at times encouraged the scouts to follow their dreams and work hard, he frequently fell back on his campaign-rally-style rhetoric, which included attacks on journalists and media outlets.</p>
<p>When Trump said he would "kill" Obamacare, the healthcare law officially called the Affordable Care Act, scouts in the audience began <a href="https://twitter.com/MrDanZak/status/889617053447008256">chanting</a> "U-S-A."</p>
<p>When Trump asked the crowd whether President Barack Obama, who was a Boy Scout, had ever attended the Jamboree, they booed, while Energy Secretary Rick Perry and Health and Human Services Secretary Tom Price, standing behind Trump on stage, laughed and clapped.</p>
<p>Obama addressed the Jamboree via video in 2010 for the organization's 100th anniversary.</p>
<p>Trump leaned further into his campaign posture at the Jamboree, saying that "under the Trump administration, you will be saying 'Merry Christmas' again," a declaration he routinely made on the campaign trail. The president also railed against his general-election rival, Hillary Clinton, eliciting more jeers from the crowd.</p>
<p>Parents and others appeared to be outraged by Trump's speech.</p>
<h3>After being involved with the Boy Scouts for years, this person said they "would never want to be associated" with the organization.</h3>
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My son is saying the same. We were involved with boy scouts for years. I would never want to be associated with organization now. </p>— Kate (@Mamaofthreebear) <a href="https://twitter.com/mims/statuses/889636597032996865">July 25, 2017</a>
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<h3>One Twitter user said she would contact her district's Boy Scout troop representatives.</h3>
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Politics do not belong in the jamboree. Citizenship does. I'm the charter organization rep for my son's Troop. <br>Will be contacting district </p>— Ann 🇺🇸 (@GeekTalk51) <a href="https://twitter.com/mims/statuses/889639733772644353">July 25, 2017</a>
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<h3>This parent wasn't happy with Trump's standing by while the boys booed Clinton.</h3>
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My son's were boy scouts &amp; I would have never tried to get them to behave like this. <a href="https://t.co/67ySFF4KmS">https://t.co/67ySFF4KmS</a> </p>— Eric Foster (@efoster_eric) <a href="https://twitter.com/mims/statuses/889639862357434372">July 25, 2017</a>
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<h3>One parent said they were happy their son was at camp instead and that they were horrified at what happened at the Jamboree.</h3>
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My son is a Boy Scout, too. I am glad he is at camp in CA and not at Jamboree. That was horrifying. </p>— Mirren (@newhall89) <a href="https://twitter.com/mims/statuses/889639682048487433">July 25, 2017</a>
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<h3>One father indicated he was not surprised by Trump's rhetoric and said he had a "rotten experience" with Boy Scouts, adding that he wouldn't allow his son to be involved.</h3>
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I have a really rotten experience with the Boy Scouts when I was young. My son isn't involved, after today, he will NEVER be involved. </p>— Furious Buddha (@KofiJamal) <a href="https://twitter.com/mims/statuses/889641422269419520">July 25, 2017</a>
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<h3>This man said he was a former senior patrol leader for the Boy Scouts and wouldn't let his son join now.</h3>
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Right &amp; left in agreement that Trump hijacked Boy Scouts for political rally. <br><br>As a former Senior Patrol Leader, no <a href="https://twitter.com/boyscouts">@boyscouts</a> for my son. <a href="https://t.co/ICtfKnxSOr">https://t.co/ICtfKnxSOr</a> </p>— Nathan Newman (@nathansnewman) <a href="https://twitter.com/mims/statuses/889641213850263553">July 25, 2017</a>
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<h3>Some parents expressed concern about their sons being "indoctrinated" at Boy Scouts events.</h3>
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You have made me ill, <a href="https://twitter.com/boyscouts">@boyscouts</a>! Do I now have to worry my son will be indoctrinated into a Trump youth org when he attends a BSA event??! </p>— Leila Rice (@Leila_A_Rice) <a href="https://twitter.com/mims/statuses/889641222582808577">July 25, 2017</a>
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<h3>Parents were also "horrified" to see their sons' hard-earned achievements be "politicized."</h3>
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My son worked hard to become an Eagle Scout and I am horrified to see the org allow itself to be politicized. </p>— Deb Bakes (@BakesDeb) <a href="https://twitter.com/mims/statuses/889640574692843520">July 25, 2017</a>
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I am so sad right now. My son is 15. He became a scout in 1st grade. Don't take away something he worked so hard for </p>— Pardon Me Ellen (@ellensweeps) <a href="https://twitter.com/mims/statuses/889640472339263489">July 25, 2017</a>
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<h3>One parent said they would be withdrawing their son over the "disgusting" Trump speech.</h3>
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<a href="https://twitter.com/boyscouts">@boyscouts</a> that was a disgusting display tonight. I am withdrawing my son from your organization next year. You should all be ashamed. </p>— Matt Cunningham (@MattC03) <a href="https://twitter.com/mims/statuses/889645487447584768">July 25, 2017</a>
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<a href="https://twitter.com/boyscouts">@boyscouts</a> My son will be withdrawn tomorrow unless you make a statement about this. <a href="https://t.co/opACFInNpr">https://t.co/opACFInNpr</a> </p>— SphynxCatsRule (@SphynxCatsRule) <a href="https://twitter.com/mims/statuses/889647414893785094">July 25, 2017</a>
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<h3>However, some parents said their sons had great experiences as Boy Scouts.</h3>
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My son's BSA experience was wonderful!!! A lot of diversity of troops near me, and my son's troop wasn't church sponsored. </p>— Benny (@BenBoo2000) <a href="https://twitter.com/mims/statuses/889645313664987136">July 25, 2017</a>
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<h3>Parents seemed to agree that Trump's speech crossed a line.</h3>
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My son is an Eagle Scout. Today was an abomination of the Scout law. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/BoyScouts?src=hash">#BoyScouts</a> </p>— Lynne Perednia (@Perednia) <a href="https://twitter.com/mims/statuses/889643647205076996">July 25, 2017</a>
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But their response was equally disturbing. Complete violation of the <a href="https://twitter.com/boyscouts">@boyscouts</a> oath. My son, a life scout, is disgusted. </p>— Caren Baker (@Caren_CO_Now) <a href="https://twitter.com/mims/statuses/889643324889473024">July 25, 2017</a>
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<p>In an emailed statement to Business Insider, the Boy Scouts of America said:</p>
<p style="padding-left: 30px;">"The Boy Scouts of America is wholly nonpartisan and does not promote any one position, product, service, political candidate, or philosophy. The invitation for the sitting US president to visit the National Jamboree is a long-standing tradition and is in no way an endorsement of any political party or specific policies. The sitting US president serves as the BSA's honorary president. It is our long-standing custom to invite the US president to the National Jamboree."</p>
<p>The organization did not immediately respond to follow-up questions about Trump's remarks at the Monday rally.</p>
<p>Here's the full speech:</p>
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<iframe width="560" height="315" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/Lch4Bql6Baw" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>
</div><p><strong>SEE ALSO:&nbsp;<a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/trump-to-tom-price-youre-fired-if-gop-doesnt-pass-healthcare-2017-7" >Trump to Tom Price, jokingly: 'You're fired' if Republicans don't pass healthcare bill</a></strong></p>
<p><a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/donald-trump-boy-scouts-speech-parents-respond-angry-2017-7#comments">Join the conversation about this story &#187;</a></p> <p>NOW WATCH: <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/best-donald-trump-memes-first-200-days-president-white-house-twitter-2017-8">The 9 best memes from Trump's first 200 days in office</a></p> http://www.businessinsider.com/trump-to-tom-price-youre-fired-if-gop-doesnt-pass-healthcare-2017-7Trump to Tom Price, jokingly: 'You're fired' if Republicans don't pass healthcare billhttp://www.businessinsider.com/trump-to-tom-price-youre-fired-if-gop-doesnt-pass-healthcare-2017-7
Mon, 24 Jul 2017 19:07:36 -0400Christopher Woody
<p><img style="float:right;" src="http://static2.businessinsider.com/image/59767a66552be552008b63d1-1726/screen%20shot%202017-07-24%20at%2065159%20pm.png" alt="Donald Trump Ryan Zinke Rick Perry Tom Price" data-mce-source="CNN" data-mce-caption="President Donald Trump, pointing at Health and Human Services Secretary Tom Price, offscreen, during a speech at the Boy Scouts Jamboree, July 24, 2017."></p><p></p>
<p>Speaking at the National Boy Scout Jamboree, President Donald Trump jokingly admonished Health and Human Services Secretary Tom Price over the looming vote on the Republican healthcare bill currently being considered by the Senate.</p>
<p>"You going to get the votes?" Trump asked during his remarks.</p>
<p>"He better get them," Trump said, turning back to the audience.</p>
<p>"He better get them ... otherwise I'll say, 'Tom, you're fired," Trump continued, pointing a finger-gun at the crowd, which greeted the comment with laughter and applause.</p>
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<p lang="en" dir="ltr">President Trump: We have a chance to repeal and replace Obamacare, “hopefully they’ll do it” <a href="https://t.co/UYpqI3w42L">https://t.co/UYpqI3w42L</a> <a href="https://t.co/iNXPAkE3tM">https://t.co/iNXPAkE3tM</a></p>— CNN (@CNN) <a href="https://twitter.com/CNN/status/889618135808188417">July 24, 2017</a>
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<p>Trump's comments come after a speech earlier on Monday at the White House held with so-called Obamacare victims. The president <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/trump-steps-up-pressure-on-gop-in-last-ditch-effort-to-pass-healthcare-2017-7" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">called on Republican legislators</a> to fulfill their promise to repeal Obamacare, saying that it would collapse if left in place and touting the benefits the GOP say would come from passing its bill, known as the Better Care and Reconciliation Act.</p>
<p>The Senate is scheduled to vote on Tuesday on a motion to proceed with debate on an Obamacare replacement legislation.</p><p><strong>SEE ALSO:&nbsp;<a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/humanitarian-economic-political-effect-of-us-sanction-on-venezuela-oil-2017-7" >'All options are on the table' for Trump to go after Venezuela, but the side effects could be severe</a></strong></p>
<p><a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/trump-to-tom-price-youre-fired-if-gop-doesnt-pass-healthcare-2017-7#comments">Join the conversation about this story &#187;</a></p> <p>NOW WATCH: <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/italian-bank-robbers-trump-masks-atms-point-break-2017-7">Italian bank robbers stole money from dozens of ATMs while wearing Trump masks</a></p> http://www.businessinsider.com/philippines-rodrigo-duterte-promises-drug-war-death-to-boy-scout-kids-2017-4'I am angry. I will kill people': Rodrigo Duterte promises death for criminals in speech to kidshttp://www.businessinsider.com/philippines-rodrigo-duterte-promises-drug-war-death-to-boy-scout-kids-2017-4
Wed, 05 Apr 2017 15:06:33 -0400Christopher Woody
<p><img style="float:right;" src="http://static4.businessinsider.com/image/57f601989bd9781c008b51c3-1500" alt="Rodrigo Duterte Philippines President" data-mce-source="REUTERS/Romeo Ranoco" data-mce-caption="Philippines President Rodrigo Duterte gestures as he delivers a speech to the members of the Philippine Army during a visit at the army headquarters in Taguig city, metro Manila, Philippines October 4, 2016."></p><p></p>
<p>Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte hasn't slacked in touting his drug war.</p>
<p>Even an audience of young children doesn't seem to have tempered Duterte's posture toward the drug trade and the people in it.</p>
<p>"I am angry," <a href="http://www.rappler.com/nation/165990-duterte-death-criminals-front-kids" target="_blank">Duterte said</a> at an event for 4- to 6-year-old Kid Scouts and 7- to 10-year-old Cub Scouts. "I will kill people if they destroy our youth."</p>
<p>Duterte's anti-drug campaign was blamed for more than <a href="http://www.rappler.com/newsbreak/iq/145814-numbers-statistics-philippines-war-drugs" target="_blank">7,000 killings</a> between when he took office on June 30, 2016, and when the Philippine National Police were <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/r-death-of-a-businessman-how-the-philippines-drugs-war-was-slowed-2017-2" target="_blank">suspended</a> from the effort at the end of January.</p>
<p>More than 2,500 suspected "drug personalities" were killed in what Philippine authorities say were police operations, while 3,600 deaths are under investigation. Police have also been accused of conducting extrajudicial killings. (Their suspension <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/r-death-of-a-businessman-how-the-philippines-drugs-war-was-slowed-2017-2" target="_blank">came after police officers killed</a> a South Korean businessman in a kidnapping attempt.)</p>
<p>Duterte, who was accused of involvement in extrajudicial killings during his time as mayor of Davao City in the southern Philippines, has not shied in promoting his bloody campaign against drugs, nor from threatening alleged drug pushers.</p>
<p>"I am really strict," he told the Scouts, <a href="http://www.rappler.com/nation/165990-duterte-death-criminals-front-kids" target="_blank">according</a> to Philippine news site Rappler. "And they say I kill people. I really will kill people if they destroy our children."</p>
<p><img src="http://static3.businessinsider.com/image/57f393ec5124c9054ab4a5ed-800" alt="Philippines President Rodrigo Duterte (C) clenches fist with members of the Philippine Army during his visit at the army headquarters in Taguig city, metro Manila, Philippines October 4, 2016. REUTERS/Romeo Ranoco " data-mce-source="Thomson Reuters" data-mce-caption="Philippines President Rodrigo Duterte clenches fist with members of the Philippine Army during his visit at the army headquarters in Taguig city, metro Manila"></p>
<p>"You drug addicts, since you've been identified, avoid the streets, stay in your homes because I will throw you in Manila Bay," Duterte <a href="http://www.rappler.com/nation/165990-duterte-death-criminals-front-kids" target="_blank">went on</a>, switching between English and Filipino. "I'll make you fertilizer for the fish."</p>
<p>During the event, Duterte was <a href="http://www.rappler.com/nation/165990-duterte-death-criminals-front-kids" target="_blank">named</a> the group's chief scout, which is a title extended to all presidents. Duterte also exhorted the youths there to pursue military service.</p>
<p><span>"Who wants to be a soldier? Die for their country?" <a href="http://www.rappler.com/nation/165990-duterte-death-criminals-front-kids" target="_blank">he said</a>. "I'm depending on that. I'm depending on you to become soldiers."</span></p>
<p><span><span>"I am counting on you, are you ready?" <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/r-philippines-duterte-says-he-would-kill-drug-dealers-to-protect-children-2017-4" target="_blank">Duterte asked</a>. "Answer me, children. Always love your country."</span></span></p>
<p><span><span><img src="http://static3.businessinsider.com/image/582e1cf8e02ba7e5008b5041-2400" alt="Philippines police drug war violence Manila" data-mce-source="REUTERS/Erik De Castro" data-mce-caption="Members of Philippine National Police's SWAT team hold their weapons as they walk past residents during an anti-drugs operation in Mandaluyong, Metro Manila in the Philippines, November 10, 2016."></span></span></p>
<p><span>Duterte has maintained high overall approval and trust ratings (though those <a href="http://www.rappler.com/nation/166121-duterte-pulse-asia-survey-poor-rich?utm_source=twitter&amp;utm_medium=referral&amp;utm_medium=share_bar" target="_blank">have slipped</a> among the poorest Filipinos). The children on hand were reportedly <a href="http://www.rappler.com/nation/165990-duterte-death-criminals-front-kids" target="_blank">enthused</a> by Duterte's comments, but elsewhere in the country, young kids have been caught up in the violent anti-drug campaign.</span></p>
<p><span>Between July and November 2016, at least <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/r-duterte-targets-philippine-children-in-bid-to-widen-drug-war-2017-2" target="_blank">29 minors</a> were reportedly killed, either by unidentified gunmen or in police operations.</span></p>
<p><span>Duterte's government is also backing a bill to <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/r-duterte-targets-philippine-children-in-bid-to-widen-drug-war-2017-2" target="_blank">lower the minimum age of criminal responsibility</a> from 15 to 9 years old to prevent what officials called <span>"the pampering of youthful offenders who commit crimes knowing they can get away with it." </span></span></p>
<p><span><span>Opponents of the measure say it will endanger children with <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/r-duterte-targets-philippine-children-in-bid-to-widen-drug-war-2017-2" target="_blank">no evidence</a> it will reduce crime.</span></span></p><p><strong>SEE ALSO:&nbsp;<a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/rodrigo-duterte-martial-law-suspend-elections-in-the-philippines-2017-3" >Rodrigo Duterte is again flirting with a dangerous change to the rule of law in the Philippines</a></strong></p>
<p><a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/philippines-rodrigo-duterte-promises-drug-war-death-to-boy-scout-kids-2017-4#comments">Join the conversation about this story &#187;</a></p> <p>NOW WATCH: <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/philippines-president-rodriogo-dueterte-helicopter-crackdown-drugs-impeachment-united-nations-2016-12">'I have done this before, why would I not do it again?': Philippines president says he once threw a man out of a helicopter</a></p> http://www.businessinsider.com/boy-scouts-of-america-will-allow-transgender-children-to-join-boys-only-programs-2017-1Boy Scouts of America will allow transgender children to join boys-only programshttp://www.businessinsider.com/boy-scouts-of-america-will-allow-transgender-children-to-join-boys-only-programs-2017-1
Mon, 30 Jan 2017 21:20:30 -0500Claudia Lauer
<p><img style="float:right;" src="http://static2.businessinsider.com/image/588ff26c475752a0328b538d-2400/undefined" alt="Boy Scouts" data-mce-source="REUTERS/Noah Berger" data-mce-caption="Boy Scout Casey Chambers carries a rainbow flag during the San Francisco Gay Pride Festival in California June 29, 2014." /></p><p>DALLAS (AP) &mdash; The Boy Scouts of America announced Monday that it will allow <span>transgender</span> children who identify as boys to enroll in its boys only programs.</p>
<p>The organization said it had made the decision to begin basing enrollment in its boys-only programs on the gender a child or parent lists on the application to become a scout. The Boy Scouts had previously held a policy that relied on the gender listed on a child's birth certificate for those programs.</p>
<p>The organization's leadership had considered a recent case in Secaucus, New Jersey, where an 8-year-old <span>transgender</span> child had been asked to leave his Scout troop after parents and leaders found out he is <span>transgender</span>. But the statement issued Monday said the change was made because of the larger conversation about gender identity going on around the country.</p>
<p>"For more than 100 years, the Boy Scouts of America, along with schools, youth sports and other youth organizations, have ultimately deferred to the information on an individual's birth certificate to determine eligibility for our single-gender programs," the statement said. "However, that approach is no longer sufficient as communities and state laws are interpreting gender identity differently, and these laws vary widely from state to state."</p>
<p>Kristie Maldonado said she had mixed emotions Monday night when a representative of Boy Scouts of America called to tell her the organization would allow her son, Joe, to re-enroll in his troop after he was asked to leave last fall. Maldonado said she would like her son to rejoin the Secaucus troop, but only if the scout leader who made the previous decision leaves.</p>
<p>She said Joe, who will turn 9 on Wednesday, has spoken publicly about the incident. She called him a "ham" and noted he had a big birthday party on Saturday with the mayor of Secaucus in attendance.</p>
<p>"I'm so grateful. I really am that they're accepting and that there won't be any issues. They (other <span>transgender</span> youth) won't have to go through what my son went through," Maldonado said when reached by phone Monday. "It's a big change for everybody that all are accepted now ... I'm so delighted that they finally called and they did say this, but I'm still angry."</p>
<p>Maldonado said the earlier decision to remove her son from the troop made him feel different, and she wanted to make sure he knew the troop made a mistake.</p>
<p>The Boys Scouts said the enrollment decision goes into effect immediately.</p>
<p>"Our organization's local councils will help find units that can provide for the best interest of the child," the statement said.</p>
<p>Zach Wahls, co-founder of the groups Scouts for Equality, called the decision historic.</p>
<p>"The decision to allow <span>transgender</span> boys to participate in the Cub Scouts and the Boy Scouts is an important step forward for this American institution," he wrote in a statement posted to social media. "We are incredibly proud of Joe Maldonado &mdash; the <span>transgender</span> boy from New Jersey whose expulsion last year ignited this controversy &mdash; and his mother Kristie for their courage in doing what they knew was right. We are also proud of the Boy Scouts for deciding to do the right thing."</p>
<p>Boy Scouts of America leaders lifted a blanket ban on gay troop leaders and employees in July 2015 amid intense pressure. The group had, after heated internal debate, decided in 2013 to allow openly gay youth as scouts.</p>
<p>The national Girl Scouts organization, which is not affiliated with the Boy Scouts, has accepted <span>transgender</span> members for years.</p>
<p>___</p>
<p>Associated Press writer Josh Cornfield in Trenton, New Jersey, contributed to this report.</p><p><a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/boy-scouts-of-america-will-allow-transgender-children-to-join-boys-only-programs-2017-1#comments">Join the conversation about this story &#187;</a></p> <p>NOW WATCH: <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/annoying-resume-mistakes-buzzwords-grammar-typos-experience-careers-strategy-jobs-interview-application-employer-2017-7">A former HR exec who reviewed over 40,000 résumés says these 7 résumé mistakes annoy her</a></p> http://www.businessinsider.com/survival-tips-from-eagle-scouts-2015-1010 survival skills we should all learn from the Eagle Scoutshttp://www.businessinsider.com/survival-tips-from-eagle-scouts-2015-10
Sun, 11 Oct 2015 11:30:00 -0400Talia Avakian
<p><a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/survival-tips-from-eagle-scouts-2015-10">Click here to see &raquo;</a></p><p><a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/survival-tips-from-eagle-scouts-2015-10#comments">Join the conversation about this story &#187;</a></p> <p>NOW WATCH: <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/long-island-mansion-real-estate-wall-street-2015-9">There’s a Gatsby-esque mansion on Long Island and it just hit the market for $100 million</a></p> http://www.businessinsider.com/survival-tips-from-eagle-scouts-2015-1010 Eagle Scout survival skills everyone should knowhttp://www.businessinsider.com/survival-tips-from-eagle-scouts-2015-10
Mon, 05 Oct 2015 16:25:00 -0400Talia Avakian
<p class="p1"><span class="s1"><img style="float:right;" src="http://static1.businessinsider.com/image/555e19cceab8eabb42d948fc-1087-814/boy-scouts-9.jpg" alt="Boy Scouts" data-mce-source="AP Photo/Luis M. Alvarez" data-mce-caption="Pascal Tessier, center, takes part in an activity with fellow scouts Matthew Huerta, left, and Michael Fine, right, after he received his Eagle Scout badge in Chevy Chase, Md. on February 10, 2014" />Since 1910, the Boy Scouts of America have promoted a mission of moral strength, citizenship, and health.</span></p>
<p class="p1"><span class="s1">In 1912, Arthur Eldred became the first Eagle Scout, and the rank has stood as an emblem of accomplishment ever since. </span></p>
<p class="p1"><span class="s1">To earn the title of Eagle Scout, Boy Scouts must learn a whole array of practical skills.</span></p>
<p class="p1"><span class="s1">We've put together 10 survival tricks that Eagle Scouts can perform, complete with step-by-step pictures to show how it&rsquo;s done. </span></p>
<p class="p1"><span class="s1">Keep scrolling to learn everything from tying a bowline knot to inflating your pants to become a flotation device. </span></p><p><strong>SEE ALSO:&nbsp;<a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/hikes-to-take-in-your-lifetime-2015-9" >25 incredible hikes to take in your lifetime</a></strong></p>
<p><strong>DON'T FORGET:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.facebook.com/Businessinsider.Life" >Follow Business Insider's lifestyle page on Facebook!</a></strong></p>
<h3>Eagle Scouts can start a fire anywhere, even in the rain. The trick to this is to look for a piece of wood that is standing upright (as it will be the least wet) and split it with a sharp knife. Next, put the wood against your cheek to see if its center feels dry.</h3>
<img src="http://static6.businessinsider.com/image/560eaa579dd7cc18008bed58-400-300/eagle-scouts-can-start-a-fire-anywhere-even-in-the-rain-the-trick-to-this-is-to-look-for-a-piece-of-wood-that-is-standing-upright-as-it-will-be-the-least-wet-and-split-it-with-a-sharp-knife-next-put-the-wood-against-your-cheek-to-see-if-its-center-feels-dry.jpg" alt="" />
<p><p><em><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qYTTMojhJgY">Click here to check out the video &raquo;</a></em></p>
<p><em>Source:<a href="http://scoutingmagazine.org/2011/01/ground-rules-rainy-day-wisdom/"> Scouting Magazine</a></em></p></p>
<br/><br/><h3>If the center is dry, start shaving wafer-thin sections of the wood. You'll use this as tinder for the fire.</h3>
<img src="http://static2.businessinsider.com/image/560ea9a49dd7cc23008bedad-400-300/if-the-center-is-dry-start-shaving-wafer-thin-sections-of-the-wood-youll-use-this-as-tinder-for-the-fire.jpg" alt="" />
<p><p><em><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qYTTMojhJgY">Click here to check out the video &raquo;</a></em></p>
<p><em>Source:<a href="http://scoutingmagazine.org/2011/01/ground-rules-rainy-day-wisdom/"> Scouting Magazine</a></em></p></p>
<br/><br/><h3>Meanwhile, cut foot-long pieces of the wood, which you'll use as a base for your tinder. Set the sticks across the base, spacing them about half an inch apart.</h3>
<img src="http://static6.businessinsider.com/image/560eaa029dd7cc1e008bed02-400-300/meanwhile-cut-foot-long-pieces-of-the-wood-which-youll-use-as-a-base-for-your-tinder-set-the-sticks-across-the-base-spacing-them-about-half-an-inch-apart.jpg" alt="" />
<p><p><em><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qYTTMojhJgY">Click here to check out the video &raquo;</a></em></p>
<p><em>Source:</em><a href="http://scoutingmagazine.org/2011/01/ground-rules-rainy-day-wisdom/"><em> Scouting Magazin</em>e</a></p></p>
<br/><br/><a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/survival-tips-from-eagle-scouts-2015-10#/#assemble-the-shavings-on-top-light-a-match-directly-underneath-the-tinder-using-a-piece-of-cotton-to-accelerate-the-process-when-you-see-the-first-flame-continue-hand-feeding-shavings-in-4">See the rest of the story at Business Insider</a> http://www.businessinsider.com/the-boy-scouts-of-america-has-ended-its-nationwide-ban-on-gay-adult-leaders-2015-7The Boy Scouts of America has ended its nationwide ban on gay adult leadershttp://www.businessinsider.com/the-boy-scouts-of-america-has-ended-its-nationwide-ban-on-gay-adult-leaders-2015-7
Mon, 27 Jul 2015 20:37:45 -0400David Crary
<p><img style="float:right;" src="http://static2.businessinsider.com/image/551e00b469bedd6f30f956b1-3107-2330/boy-scouts-6.jpg" alt="Boy Scouts" data-mce-source="REUTERS/Noah Berger" data-mce-caption="Boy Scout Casey Chambers carries a rainbow flag during the San Francisco Gay Pride Festival in California June 29, 2014." /></p><p>NEW YORK (AP) &mdash; The Boy Scouts of America on Monday ended its blanket ban on gay adult leaders while allowing church-sponsored Scout units to maintain the exclusion for religious reasons.</p>
<div>
<p>The new policy, aimed at easing a controversy that has embroiled the Boy Scouts for years, takes effect immediately. It was approved by the BSA's National Executive Board on a 45-12 vote during a closed-to-the-media teleconference.</p>
<p>"For far too long this issue has divided and distracted us," said the BSA's president, former Defense Secretary Robert Gates. "Now it's time to unite behind our shared belief in the extraordinary power of Scouting to be a force for good."</p>
<p>The stage had been set for Monday's action on May 21, when Gates told the Scouts' national meeting that the long-standing ban on participation by openly gay adults was no longer sustainable. He said the ban was likely to be the target of lawsuits that the Scouts likely would lose.</p>
<p>Two weeks ago, the new policy was approved unanimously by the BSA's 17-member National Executive Committee. It would allow local Scout units to select adult leaders without regard to sexual orientation &mdash; a stance that several Scout councils have already adopted in defiance of the official national policy.</p>
<p>In 2013, after heated internal debate, the BSA decided to allow openly gay youth as scouts, but not gay adults as leaders. Several denominations that collectively sponsor close to half of all Scout units &mdash; including the Roman Catholic church, the Mormon church and the Southern Baptist Convention &mdash; have been apprehensive about ending the ban on gay adults.</p>
<p>The BSA's top leaders have pledged to defend the right of any church-sponsored units to continue excluding gays as adult volunteers. But that assurance has not satisfied some conservative church leaders,'</p>
<p>"It's hard for me to believe, in the long term, that the Boy Scouts will allow religious groups to have the freedom to choose their own leaders," said the Rev. Russell Moore, president of the Southern Baptist Convention's Ethics &amp; Religious Liberty Commission.</p>
<p>"In recent years I have seen a definite cooling on the part of Baptist churches toward the Scouts," Moore said. "This will probably bring that cooling to a freeze."</p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p>Under the BSA's new policy:</p>
<p>&mdash;Prospective employees of the national organization could no longer be denied a staff position on the basis of sexual orientation.</p>
<p>&mdash;Gay leaders who were previously removed from Scouting because of the ban would have the opportunity to reapply for volunteer positions.</p>
<p>&mdash;If otherwise qualified, a gay adult would be eligible to serve as a Scoutmaster or unit leader.</p>
<p><img src="http://static4.businessinsider.com/image/555e19bf69bedd0934fc9715-1500-814/boy scouts.jpg" alt="Boy Scouts" data-mce-source="AP Photo/Luis M. Alvarez" data-mce-caption="Pascal Tessier, center, takes part in an activity with fellow scouts Matthew Huerta, left, and Michael Fine, right, after he received his Eagle Scout badge in Chevy Chase, Md. on February 10, 2014" />Gates, who became the BSA's president in May 2014, said at the time that he personally would have favored ending the ban on gay adults, but he opposed any further debate after the Scouts' policymaking body upheld the ban. In May, however, he said that recent events "have confronted us with urgent challenges I did not foresee and which we cannot ignore."</p>
<p>He cited an announcement by the BSA's New York City chapter in early April that it had hired Pascal Tessier, the nation's first openly gay Eagle Scout, as a summer camp leader. Gates also cited broader gay-rights developments and warned that rigidly maintaining the ban "will be the end of us as a national movement."</p>
<p>The BSA faced potential lawsuits in New York and other states if it continued to enforce its ban, which had been upheld by the U.S. Supreme Court in 2000. Since then, the exclusionary policy has prompted numerous major corporations to suspend charitable donations to the Scouts, and has strained relations with some municipalities that cover gays in their non-discrimination codes.</p>
<p>Stuart Upton, a lawyer for the LGBT-rights group Lambda Legal, questioned whether the BSA's new policy to let church-sponsored units continue to exclude gay adults would be sustainable.</p>
<p>"There will be a period of time where they'll have some legal protection," Upton said. "But that doesn't mean the lawsuits won't keep coming. ... They will become increasingly marginalized from the direction society is going."</p>
<p>Like several other major youth organizations, the Boy Scouts have experienced a membership decline in recent decades. Current membership, according to the BSA, is about 2.4 million boys and about 1 million adults.</p>
<p>After the 2013 decision to admit gay youth, some conservatives split from the BSA to form a new group, Trail Life USA, which has created its own ranks, badges and uniforms. The group claims a membership of more than 25,000 youths and adults.</p>
</div>
<p>&nbsp;</p><p><a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/the-boy-scouts-of-america-has-ended-its-nationwide-ban-on-gay-adult-leaders-2015-7#comments">Join the conversation about this story &#187;</a></p> <p>NOW WATCH: <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/whats-inside-pimple-pus-bacteria-acne-2017-8">All the nasty things inside a pimple — and why you should stop popping them</a></p> http://www.businessinsider.com/r-boy-scouts-committee-approves-allowing-gay-adults-to-serve-as-employees-2015-7Boy Scouts committee approves allowing gay adults to serve as leadershttp://www.businessinsider.com/r-boy-scouts-committee-approves-allowing-gay-adults-to-serve-as-employees-2015-7
Mon, 13 Jul 2015 20:38:00 -0400Marice Richter
<p><span style="line-height: 1.5em;"><img style="float:right;" src="http://static2.businessinsider.com/image/55a459b269beddfe4ed0c6bb-1200-924/gay-pride-parade-march-boy-scouts-of-america-2.jpg" border="0" alt="gay pride parade march boy scouts of america">DALLAS (Reuters) - The Boy Scouts of America Executive Committee unanimously approved allowing gay adults to serve as leaders, officials said on Monday, in a major step toward dismantling a policy that has caused deep rifts in the 105-year-old organization.</span></p>
<p>The group's National Executive Board will meet to ratify the resolution on July 27, the Boy Scouts said in a statement.</p>
<p>"This resolution will allow chartered organizations to select adult leaders without regard to sexual orientation, continuing Scouting’s longstanding policy of chartered organizations selecting their leaders," it said.</p>
<p>The resolution approved by the Executive Committee on Friday follows a U.S. Supreme Court ruling in June to allow same-sex marriage nationwide and a call in May from the Boy Scouts president, former U.S. Defense Secretary Robert Gates, who said the ban on gay leadership needed to change.</p>
<p>The Boy Scouts said in the statement the move reflected "the rapid changes in society and increasing legal challenges at the federal, state and local levels."</p>
<p>The announcement was welcomed by an activist seeking an end to the long-standing policy.</p>
<p>"The Boy Scouts of America’s ban on gay adults has stood as a towering example of explicit, institutional homophobia in one of America’s most important and recognizable civic organizations," said Zach Wahls, an eagle scout and executive director of Scouts for Equality.</p>
<p>The Irving, Texas-based organization lifted its ban on gay youth in 2013 but continues to prohibit the participation of openly gay adults. The selection last year of Gates as president of the Boy Scouts was seen as an opportunity to revisit the policy.</p>
<p><img src="http://static1.businessinsider.com/image/55a459d369beddda4bd0c6b5-1200-924/boy-scouts-10.jpg" border="0" alt="Boy Scouts"></p>
<p>Gates, as secretary of defense, helped end the "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" policy that barred openly gay individuals from serving in the military.</p>
<p>Earlier, corporate sponsors such as Lockheed Martin and Intel dropped funding from the Boy Scouts in protest of policies considered discriminatory.</p>
<p>The Boy Scouts ban on gay adults received its first major challenge in April when the first openly gay adult was hired as a summer camp leader by the Greater New York Council of Boy Scouts.</p>
<p>Membership in the Boy Scouts of America has been steadily declining during the past decade, but the 2013 decision to allow gay youth contributed to a steeper drop of 7.4 percent from 2013 to 2014, according to organization figures.</p>
<p>&nbsp;<span style="line-height: 1.5em;">(Reporting by Marice Richter; Writing by Jon Herskovitz; Editing by Mohammad Zargham and Peter Cooney)</span></p><p><a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/r-boy-scouts-committee-approves-allowing-gay-adults-to-serve-as-employees-2015-7#comments">Join the conversation about this story &#187;</a></p> <p>NOW WATCH: <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/scientifically-ways-women-attractive-2015-5">6 scientifically proven features men find attractive in women</a></p> http://www.businessinsider.com/r-rick-perrys-lesson-from-2012-us-presidential-bid-be-prepared-2015-6Rick Perry's 2016 motto is from the Boy Scoutshttp://www.businessinsider.com/r-rick-perrys-lesson-from-2012-us-presidential-bid-be-prepared-2015-6
Sun, 21 Jun 2015 11:12:00 -0400Doina Chiacu
<p><img style="float:right;" src="http://static2.businessinsider.com/image/53f626436bb3f70d1cf34f7c-1200-924/ap579316955484-1.jpg" border="0" alt="AP579316955484"></p><p>WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Rick Perry, the former Texas governor who is making a second run for the Republican presidential nomination next year, says he took away a major lesson from his failed 2012 bid: be prepared.</p>
<p>The Boy Scouts motto is something Perry knows well as an Eagle Scout, the highest attainable rank in the movement.</p>
<p>But the conservative Perry, who announced his candidacy for the 2016 Republican nomination on June 4, said he was caught by surprise at the depth and breadth of knowledge presidential candidates were expected to have at their fingertips.</p>
<p>"Until you've done it you don't even realize what a challenge it is - these broad array of issues that you just have to have more than just passing knowledge of," Perry said in an interview on "Fox News Sunday."</p>
<p>The longest-serving governor in Texas history, Perry's 2012 candidacy fell apart in an embarrassing Republican debate performance when he could not remember the third of three government agencies he wanted to scrap, blurting out "Oops."</p>
<p>This time, the 65-year-old has presented himself as a more thoughtful, policy-oriented candidate, punctuated by thick-framed, wonky-looking glasses.</p>
<p>A presidential candidacy involves years of sustained preparation and learning from "real experts," Perry said.</p>
<p>"I feel very comfortable now sitting on the stage that I can have those conversations and regurgitate that information that I know and that I've absorbed in a way that the American people are going to see a very different candidate that they did four years ago," he promised.</p>
<p>Perry was asked about a gaffe last week in which he referred to the Wednesday night shooting at a black church in Charleston, South Carolina, as an "accident."</p>
<p>Perry, whose poll ratings hover in the single digits, has said he misspoke.</p>
<p>"People are going to make mistakes and people know that," he said on the Fox program.</p><p><a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/r-rick-perrys-lesson-from-2012-us-presidential-bid-be-prepared-2015-6#comments">Join the conversation about this story &#187;</a></p> <p>NOW WATCH: <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/wwe-brock-lesnar-facts-wrestling-2015-4">12 awesome facts about WWE superstar Brock Lesnar</a></p> http://www.businessinsider.com/boy-scouts-leader-says-ban-on-gay-adults-is-not-sustainable-2015-5Boy Scouts' leader says ban on gay adults is not sustainablehttp://www.businessinsider.com/boy-scouts-leader-says-ban-on-gay-adults-is-not-sustainable-2015-5
Thu, 21 May 2015 13:47:00 -0400DAVID CRARY and JENNIFER PELTZ
<p><img style="float:right;" src="http://static4.businessinsider.com/image/555e18e4eab8eab747d948f7-600-/robert-gates-boy-scouts.jpg" border="0" alt="Robert Gates Boy Scouts" width="600"></p><p>The national president of the Boy Scouts of America, Robert Gates, said Thursday that the organization's longstanding ban on participation by openly gay adults is no longer sustainable, and called for change in order to avert potentially destructive legal battles.</p>
<p>In a speech in Atlanta to the Scouts' national annual meeting, Gates referred to recent moves by Scout councils in New York City and elsewhere to defy the ban.</p>
<p>"The status quo in our movement's membership standards cannot be sustained," he said.</p>
<p>Gates, a former US secretary of defense, said no change in the policy would be made at the national meeting. But he raised the possibility of revising the policy at some point soon so that local Scout organizations could decide on their own whether to allow gays as leaders.</p>
<p>In 2013, after bitter internal debate, the BSA decided to allow openly gay youth as scouts, but not gay adults as leaders. The change took effect in January 2014.</p>
<p>Gates, who became the BSA's president in May 2014, said at the time that he personally would have favored ending the ban on gay adults, but he opposed any further debate after the Scouts' policymaking body upheld the ban.</p>
<p>On Thursday, however, he said recent events "have confronted us with urgent challenges I did not foresee and which we cannot ignore."</p>
<p>He cited the recent defiant announcement by the BSA's New York chapter in early April that it had hired the nation's first openly gay Eagle Scout as a summer camp leader. He also cited broader developments related to gay rights.</p>
<p>"I remind you of the recent debates we have seen in places like Indiana and Arkansas over discrimination based on sexual orientation, not to mention the impending US Supreme Court decision this summer on gay marriage," he said. "We must deal with the world as it is, not as we might wish it to be."</p>
<p><img src="http://static4.businessinsider.com/image/551e00b469bedd6f30f956b1-1200-924/boy-scouts-6.jpg" border="0" alt="Boy Scouts"></p>
<p>Gates said the BSA technically had the power to revoke the charters of councils that defied the current ban on gay adults, but he said this would be harmful to boys in those regions</p>
<p>He also noted that many states have passed laws prohibiting employment discrimination based on sexual orientation, raising the possibility of extensive legal battles.</p>
<p>"Thus, between internal challenges and potential legal conflicts, the BSA finds itself in an unsustainable position, a position that makes us vulnerable to the possibility the courts simply will order us at some point to change our membership policy," Gates said.</p>
<p>He expressed concern that an eventual court order might also strike down the BSA's policy of banning atheists.</p>
<p>"Waiting for the courts is a gamble with huge stakes," he said. "Alternatively, we can move at some future date — but sooner rather than later — to seize control of our own future, set our own course and change our policy in order to allow charter partners — unit sponsoring organizations — to determine the standards for their Scout leaders."</p>
<p>Such an approach, he said, would allow churches, which sponsor about 70% of Scout units, to establish leadership standards consistent with their faith.</p>
<p>"I truly fear that any other alternative will be the end of us as a national movement," he said.</p>
<p>Zach Wahls of Scouts for Equality, a group that has campaigned against the ban, welcomed Gates' remarks.</p>
<p>"Dr. Gates has built his reputation on straight talk and tough decisions," said Wahls. "It seems like the Boy Scouts will continue an internal dialogue about the subject and that a change within the next year or two is imminent."</p>
<p><img src="http://static1.businessinsider.com/image/555e19cceab8eabb42d948fc-1087-814/boy-scouts-9.jpg" border="0" alt="Boy Scouts"></p>
<p>Until Thursday, there had been no indication how the BSA would respond to the New York Councils, which on April 2 announced the hiring of Pascal Tessier, an 18-year-old Eagle Scout. Tessier, currently finishing his freshman year of college, has been a vocal advocate of opening the 105-year-old organization to gay scouts and leaders.</p>
<p>Tessier had been getting legal advice from prominent lawyer David Boies, whose recent causes include arguing for recognition of same-sex marriage. Boies said it was possible that Tessier's hiring could lead to litigation between the New York chapter and the BSA's national headquarters, but he expressed hope this could be avoided.</p>
<p>Another of Tessier's lawyers, Josh Schiller, expressed hope that the BSA's ban would be lifted.</p>
<p>"People will join the Boy Scouts and look at them as an organization that has the principles of equality," he said.</p><p><a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/boy-scouts-leader-says-ban-on-gay-adults-is-not-sustainable-2015-5#comments">Join the conversation about this story &#187;</a></p> <p>NOW WATCH: <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/robbie-rogers-deals-failure-mistakes-soccer-sports-athletes-2015-4">The athlete who paved the way for openly gay men in American sports tells us how he deals with failure</a></p> http://www.businessinsider.com/ny-boy-scouts-have-hired-a-gay-eagle-scout-despite-national-policy-prohibiting-it-2015-4NY Boy Scouts have hired a gay Eagle Scout despite national policy prohibiting ithttp://www.businessinsider.com/ny-boy-scouts-have-hired-a-gay-eagle-scout-despite-national-policy-prohibiting-it-2015-4
Thu, 02 Apr 2015 23:00:00 -0400Jennifer Peltz and David Crary
<p><img style="float:right;" src="http://static4.businessinsider.com/image/551e00b469bedd6f30f956b1-1200-924/boy-scouts-6.jpg" border="0" alt="Boy Scouts"></p><p>NEW YORK (AP) — The Boy Scouts' New York chapter said Thursday that it has hired the nation's first openly gay Eagle Scout as a summer camp leader, a direct and public challenge to the national scouting organization's ban on openly gay adult members.</p>
<p>The Boy Scouts' national spokesman, Deron Smith, said there was no change in that policy, which has been highly divisive.</p>
<p>As for any further response to the New York announcement, Smith said, "We are looking into the matter."</p>
<p>The challenge to the national headquarters was laid down by the Boy Scouts' Greater New York Councils, which announced the hiring of Pascal Tessier, an 18-year-old Eagle Scout. Tessier has been a vocal advocate of opening the 105-year-old organization to gay scouts and leaders.</p>
<p>"We received this application from this young man, and we found him highly qualified on all the merits," board member Richard G. Mason said by phone. The New York group, like some other local scouting councils, has said before that it is open to gay employees.</p>
<p>"We have an anti-discrimination policy, we believe in it very firmly, and we are executing on it," Mason said.</p>
<p>The national organization changed its policy in 2013 to allow openly gay youth as scouts, but not adults as leaders, after a bitter debate over its membership policy. The change took effect in January 2014.</p>
<p>Ahead of Thursday's announcement, Tessier has been getting legal advice from prominent lawyer David Boies, whose recent causes include arguing for recognition of same-sex marriage.</p>
<p>Boise said it was possible that Tessier's hiring could lead to litigation between the New York chapter and the BSA's national headquarters, but he expressed hope this could be avoided.</p>
<p>"We all started this with the idea that the best resolution of this was a resolution based on conciliation and agreement," Boies said.</p>
<p><img class="float_left" src="http://static5.businessinsider.com/image/500600766bb3f7f724000004-400-300/boy-scouts-1.jpg" border="0" alt="Boy Scouts"><span style="line-height: 1.5em;">"It is certainly a remarkable development because we now have the first openly gay scout leader employed by the Boy Scouts," he added. "We hope that is the beginning of the end, if you will, of the policy nationwide."</span></p>
<p>However, national BSA leaders, after wrestling with the membership policy in 2012 and 2013, have conveyed no interest in reopening the discussions.</p>
<p>Former Defense Secretary Robert Gates, who became the BSA's president in May 2014, said at the time that he personally would have favored ending the ban on gay adults, but he opposed any further debate after the Scouts' policymaking body upheld the ban. Reopening the issue, Gates said, "would irreparably fracture and perhaps even provoke a formal, permanent split in this movement — with the high likelihood neither side would subsequently survive on its own."</p>
<p>Advocates for letting gays participate in scouting hailed Tessier's hire.</p>
<p>"This is a watershed moment," Zach Wahls, executive director of Scouts for Equality, said in a statement. "We are proud to see such an important Boy Scout council standing up for the full inclusion of gay members."</p>
<p>When the national Boy Scouts began allowing gay boys as scouts, liberal Scout leaders and gay rights groups celebrated the shift but called for allowing gay adults to participate, too. Conservatives involved with the Scouts, including some churches that sponsor troops, decried letting any gays — including boys — participate. Some defected when the ban on gay youth was lifted.</p>
<p><img src="http://static4.businessinsider.com/image/53b0d491ecad04b04d8877e5-1200-800/img_5700-1.jpg" border="0" alt="gay pride parade march boy scouts of america"><span style="line-height: 1.5em;">The Boy Scouts of America has said it doesn't "proactively inquire" about members' sexual orientation — in effect, a form of "don't ask, don't tell." But it has expelled adults who were open about it, including a gay troop leader in Seattle who was removed last year after he disclosed his orientation during a TV interview.</span></p>
<p>While some other local Boy Scout councils also have let it be known they are accepting of openly gay employees, the 103-year-old New York councils' move presents an unusually acute departure from the national policy. Wahls said it was the first case he was aware of that a council publicly acknowledged that one of its adult staffers was gay.</p>
<p>The New York councils serve more than 46,000 young people, in both boys' scout troops and other programs, such as pre-professional "explorer" initiatives; some include girls. About 9,000 boys and girls are expected in its summer camps this year.</p>
<p>Tessier achieved scouting's highest rank last year. The Kensington, Maryland, teen said then he was relieved finally to have his Eagle badge approved by the Scouts' national headquarters in Irving, Texas.</p>
<p>"Even if I had been kicked out along the way, I wouldn't have changed anything," he said. "The whole experience was something worth having, not only for myself but also for all the other people involved — and for all the people it affects."</p><p><a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/ny-boy-scouts-have-hired-a-gay-eagle-scout-despite-national-policy-prohibiting-it-2015-4#comments">Join the conversation about this story &#187;</a></p> <p>NOW WATCH: <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/barack-obama-doppelganger-indonesia-2015-2">This 40-year-old Indonesian is Obama's doppelgänger</a></p> http://www.businessinsider.com/openly-gay-boy-scouts-2014-2013-12Boy Scouts To Allow Openly-Gay Scouts In 2014http://www.businessinsider.com/openly-gay-boy-scouts-2014-2013-12
Tue, 31 Dec 2013 17:57:53 -0500Marice Richter
<p><img style="float:right;" src="http://static6.businessinsider.com/image/519eb864eab8eac56b000006-480-/boy-scouts-5.jpg" border="0" alt="Boy Scouts" width="480" /></p><p>DALLAS (Reuters) - The&nbsp;Boy Scouts of America&nbsp;will allow openly gay scouts for the first time as of January 1, with the century-old group facing conservative dissent from within for making the change and criticism from rights groups for not going far enough.</p>
<p>Some of those upset by the change have joined socially conservative groups such as start-up&nbsp;Trail Life USA, which says "any sexual activity outside the context of the covenant of marriage between one man and one woman is sinful before God" and runs counter to its core values.</p>
<p>The&nbsp;Boy Scouts of America&nbsp;(BSA) has also taken a financial hit, with some prominent corporate sponsors withdrawing support over the group's decision to keep in place a ban on homosexuals from serving as adult leaders.</p>
<p>This month, Lockheed Martin Corp, the top U.S. defense contractor, said it had halted donations to the Boy Scouts because of policies to exclude some gays from its ranks.</p>
<p>BSA spokesman&nbsp;Deron Smith&nbsp;said the group is still strong, with only a few breaking away from its ranks.</p>
<p>"We're pleased that the overwhelming majority of our members, families and chartered organizations remain committed to the&nbsp;Boy Scouts of America," Smith told Reuters.</p>
<p>Ahead of the change, BSA set up new guidelines on matters such as maintaining privacy when it comes to showering, dressing and sleeping arrangements.</p>
<p>The policy change was adopted in May 2013 by a majority vote of the&nbsp;BSA's National Council, lifting the ban on openly gay scouts in the face of intense social pressure.</p>
<p>It left in place a prohibition on gays serving as adult Scout leaders.</p>
<p>The Boy Scouts have a national membership of about 2.6 million youth and one million adult volunteers.</p>
<p>"The&nbsp;Boy Scouts of America&nbsp;does not have an agenda on the matter of sexual orientation," the&nbsp;Irving,&nbsp;Texas-based Boy Scouts said in its membership standard resolution.</p>
<p>"Scouting is a youth program, and any sexual conduct, whether homosexual or heterosexual, by youth of Scouting age is contrary to the virtues of Scouting," it said.</p>
<p>Boys can join the Cub scouts from the time they enter first grade, or about 7 years old and can advance through the Boy Scouts up until they reach their 18th birthday, the BSA says on its website.</p>
<p>The policy change was welcomed by some gay rights advocates as an important first step toward ending discrimination. They still want to see a lifting of the ban on gay leaders and other volunteers.</p>
<p>"We know that change won't happen overnight, and we're ready to do the work,"&nbsp;Zach Wahls, co-founder of Scouts for Equality, told Reuters.</p>
<p>"We see the installment of former Defense Secretary&nbsp;Robert Gates&nbsp;as the BSA's next president as another reason to be optimistic about the future of Scouting."</p>
<p>As defense secretary, Gates supported President&nbsp;Barack Obama's withdrawal of the "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" policy that prevented gays and lesbians from serving openly in the military.</p>
<p>The removal of the ban on gays could not happen soon enough for&nbsp;Pascal Tessier&nbsp;ofBethesda,&nbsp;Maryland, a 17-year-old high school senior who said he was denied his Eagle Scout Award because he is gay.</p>
<p>Tessier is slated to pick up the honor on January 15 and would likely become the first openly gay scout to earn the highest rank in scouting.</p>
<p>"I love scouting and always have, so I really want to become an Eagle Scout," he said.</p>
<p>(Writing by Jon Herskovitz; editing by Gunna Dickson)</p><p><a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/openly-gay-boy-scouts-2014-2013-12#comments">Join the conversation about this story &#187;</a></p>